Is this a scam?

by Mark
(England)

Hi Bob I live in England & last week out of the blue I got a email from a Russian girl stating she was looking for a BOYFRIEND I took this as a joke as I am on no dating sites. So for fun I wrote her saying I was a lot older than her & she was far too pretty to be single. I must admit I enjoy talking to her & she asks for nothing, so what's it all about & where did she get my e-mail from?

Bob's Answer: Well, there are a lot of Russian/Ukrainian women "too pretty to be single", but this one is just a scammer.

Read Russian Scammers: Email Scams. That is exactly your case here. "She" (this may not even actually be a woman, and may not even be in Russia) hasn't asked for anything yet because she isn't yet sure that you're "hooked".

Once a few more message go by and she doesn't suspect you're playing her, she's going to hit you with one of the common scenarios... "My grandmother is sick and needs expensive medicine and I have no one else I can turn to..." or "I want to see you so much my dear, and I have a friend at the travel agency who can get me visa to your country, but it costs $2000. I have $1600 and my boss owes me another $600, but in order to get the visa I need to pay now... Can you wire me $400 now? I will be able to pay you back when I see you..."

That's what you have here.

When I get these, if I have time, I play with them a little. I pretend to go along, all the way up to sending her "fake money". Just make up a random wire transfer number and send it to her.